Welcome to the University of Southampton's International Summer School Architecture in London course!
"Two thousand years of history- from small river side settlement to urban metropolis- has imbued London with a unique and varied architectural landscape.
Using a series of case studies we will investigate the range of architectural styles found across London and how these reflect different periods in its expansion.
These case studies will be drawn from both well-known famous and lesser known hidden landmarks. We will consider each buildings location, its purpose, who built/designed it, its architectural style and its place within wider social, political, religious, cultural and historical events of the time.
In the class room a wide range of plans, photographs, paintings and maps will be used to illustrate the above points. We will also visit London and look at one or several of the buildings previously discussed."
Module Outline
Session 1
• The History of London.
• An introduction to British Architecture.
Session 2
• Architectural Styles and their key features. Please find below in the Preparatory Materials (in Useful downloads) a series of pictures showing the different styles of architecture we will be investigation and a glossary of associated key terms.
• An introduction to our field trip destination.
Session 3
• Case Studies. We will be examining a series of buildings across London and looking at their history and architectural composition.
Field Trip
We will be visiting Strawberry Hill, the Gothic style home of Britain’s first Prime Minster, Horace Warpole. Further details can be found on the website (click on image).
Activities
Please find below in the Preparatory Materials (in Useful downloads) a couple of activities to carry out in preparation for the course.
Activity 1: Please find a picture to accompany each description in the attached glossary.
Activity 2: Using the knowledge gained from above task, and the architectural illustrations included in this handout, please look at the buildings surrounding you and see if you can identify any of the building styles or features. The buildings do not have to be original, many modern buildings draw inspiration from the past.
If you would like to the share the pictures you have found you can post them on the module twitter page at @Archoflondon
The sessions will be taught by Dr Eleanor Quince (Lecturer in History) and Adam Hussey (PhD Archaeology).
For further information on the postgraduate tutors please visit the Meet the tutors pages.